Every homeowner faces challenges. One of the most challenging things you can face is water damage to your home.
This type of damage can leave you with a host of repairs that can cost you a lot of money. To make matters worse you may also find that water damage leads to health issues that you never expected.
This is because mold will often develop as a result of water damage. Mold can be very detrimental to your health. This is why you need to deal with water damage as quickly as possible.
Here is a look at the water damage recovery timeline, so you can know what to expect.
Water Damage Recovery
It is best to get to work cleaning up any excess water that you see lying around your home. Dry up as much as you possibly can.
However, even after you have mopped and removed water everywhere there is still a great chance that you will suffer from water damage. This is because water can seep into unseen crevices.
The best thing you can do is to call for professional help for extensive water damage. While you can easily mop water that you can see, it is often the moisture that you can’t see that creates a problem.
If this is not dealt with in a very short time bacteria and mold will start to develop. It can take as little as three days for a large colony of mold to begin developing.
Once it starts to spread then you are looking at even a higher cost to deal with the damage that is done.
The Evaluation
The first thing a water damage restoration company will do is evaluate what needs to be done. In this way, they can give you a reasonable quote for the services that you will require.
Even if you have shut off the pipes that you suspect to be causing water damage there may still be things behind the scenes that need to be dealt with swiftly. An inspection may find leaks in the wall through the use of equipment designed to detect water damage.
Water damage can spread to ceilings and walls quickly so special equipment is necessary to access the damage. When you can locate visible damage in addition to what you cannot see then you will be well on your way to restoring your home.
Your water damage restoration company will come up with a step by step plan to tackle any damage that has been done to your home. Make sure that you understand the plan fully so that there are no misconceptions about what is being done.
Water Removal
One of the most important steps in the entire restoration process is the actual removal of the water. The amount of water that is removed and the length of time it will take is highly dependent on what caused the damage in the first place.
Leaking pipes may cause less damage than a flood or it may be the other way around. All this is dependent on the types of pipes that are leaking and even the length of time of the flooding.
Your water restoration company will use several pieces of equipment to remove the water. One of which is a moisture meter so that the team can determine exactly where the water is located. Many water restoration companies use a truck-mounted vacuum so that the water in your home can be removed as quickly as possible.
Once the removal of water is complete the next phase of the process involves drying and dehumidifying the house.
A Professional Clean
Once the removal of water is complete, it will then be time for the professional cleanup to start. The first part of the process involves drying and dehumidifying the house. The team will look to find what items you may be able to save and the ones that you will need to throw out.
You may find that water has damaged your personal belongings. Water can soak through, furniture, especially if it is upholstered. However, wooden furniture is definitely vulnerable as well.
Once wooden furniture has become water-soaked then there is very little time before you start seeing fluffs of white mold appearing all over the surface. In some cases, you will not be able to save some items.
Many cleaning methods can be employed to ensure that your belongings are restored. Chief among these treatments is an anti-microbial treatment that is used to treat not just furnishings but clothing and books as well.
Wrapping Things Up
Once everything is clean then repairs can begin on the structure of your home if there is damage.
You may need to have portions of the wall replaced. In some cases, the damage is so extensive that rooms will have to be rebuilt. This is a lot of work and it may extend to doing work in the other rooms if the flooring has been ruined.
Restoration can go on for a few days depending on how badly your home was damaged by water. Don’t be surprised if it takes a few weeks if you have extensive damage.
Getting Your Home Back
When you have water damage in your home it can leave you very emotional and fearful. It is not easy to have to deal with because your home is your sanctuary.
It can be especially traumatic if your furniture gets damaged or cherished family items. The key to remember is that you need to call in the professionals as quickly as possible. Once you do this you can get started right away and there will be a greater chance that many things can be saved.
Quick action on water damage recovery gives mold and bacteria less time to grow. This decreases the risk that your health will be adversely affected by the state of your home.
If you would like help, with restoring your home, do not hesitate to contact us!
